Notes: Have I told all you guys who read and review that I hearts you? Well, I hearts you!! Thanks for reading and reviewing my work, they made me a happy authoress and the muses haven't run dry yet...which is impressive, considering that I'm...well, me. This chapter is where characters start to get a little OOC, I think? But it's necessary for plot, and it's not like I'm abusing them horribly. Please enjoy! After III, there will be two more chapters, so plenty more to look forward to : P.
Miscommunication
Arthur/Merlin:: Everyone is horribly misguided and thinks that Arthur and Merlin are a couple. Arthur and Merlin, armed with nothing but fierce denial, set out to prove everyone wrong..or die trying.
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Chapter III: A Misconception
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The moment the four of them rode back to Camelot, Arthur swung off his horse at the stable and mentioned for Merlin to follow suit.
Merlin started, "But sire, don't I have to make sure the horses are properly looked after, first?"
"Horses are horses, they can be left to the stable boy." Arthur told him, with an impatient toss of his head, "I have other more important needs for you to attend to. Come along and stop babbling."
Merlin pursed his lips, "I don't babble."
"Yes you do." A steely glance was shot in his direction, as pointed as an arrow, "Now, do as I say and come along."
"Yes, Arthur." And Merlin hurriedly followed the prince into the castle...perhaps it was in his best interest to never have looked back. He would never would have forgiven himself.
Gwen and Morgana, on the other hand, looked a little too pleased altogether.
--
Once in his quarters, Arthur locked and bolted his door with a flourish. His eyes glinted almost murderously when they finally did set on Merlin again: "Sit."
Merlin did, dropping in a nearby chair.
"We have a problem." Arthur sat down on his bed and folded his hands, "And I have a feeling it's going to spiral quickly out of our hands if we don't address it properly. Are you with me?"
"Of course I am." Merlin nodded readily, "It's not like I like people getting these ideas about us. Do you have a plan in mind?"
Arthur sighed, "Unfortunately, nothing as of yet."
"Oh."
"I was hoping you'd have something."
Merlin thought for a long, long moment, "I'm never bathing you again, for starters, not until this dies down. You're lazy, but you're just going to have to manage. I guess you're not allowed to call on me for every little thing any more because they're going to read it as an act of...you know." He couldn't quite bring himself to finish.
"I'd no idea you're such a prude, Merlin." Arthur sounded quite amused, even if the situation they were in grew increasingly dire in Merlin's own mind.
"So what?" Merlin looked at him, "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're starting to enjoy being hypothetically married to me."
"What are you implying?" Arthur raised a brow.
"Nothing."
"Good."
It was at times like this, when Merlin really wanted to hit some sense into Arthur, although in all respects, it probably would not have been a good idea. He got to his feet, "Well, if this brainstorming session is done, I'm leaving. The longer I'm alone behind locked doors with you, the funnier this is going to look." Well, taking charge (especially when the said person he was taking charge of was Arthur himself) was never Merlin's forte, but someone had to be firm.
"Don't call me unless something really important comes up."
That seemed a safe way to go, if people didn't see them together, there was no way that they could let their imaginations run wild if there wasn't anything to see.
And Arthur...
Arthur looked a bit sad, forlorn, alone, seeing him go.
Of course Arthur would have liked to think that his face didn't show any of that, but Merlin knew better, as a last ditch effort though, Arthur said, "Muck out the stable and clean my armor, and sharpen my sword, I'm going for a ride."
"Yes, sire."
--
Gaius looked at him funny as the days passed. Arthur took his words to heart, evidently, and rarely called. Merlin rather liked that, he had time to himself, he even learned new spells, and he learned that if he didn't go out all too often, no one would bombard him with questions about his so-called relationship with Arthur.
Sure, he was almost positive that Gaius had questions like everyone else, but the court physician had more than enough sense to keep his curiosities to himself.
He was wrong.
Gaius fell prey to his curiosities during dinner one evening, as Merlin ate mush and practiced muttering spells to levitate Gaius' workbench.
"So...Merlin, did Arthur sack you?"
"No." Merlin replied with a noisy swallow, "Why do you ask?"
"Well..." Gaius looked uncertain, "I may be old, Merlin, but I'm not quite deaf as I would like to be. Word's going around that you and Arthur are having a spat...so I was just...wondering if it got bad enough for him to sack you."
The bench crashed into the floor, unceremoniously shattering some trinkets that had been on it.
"What?" Merlin barely managed to keep his mouthful of mush intact, "You too?"
"What do you mean 'me too'?" Gaius' wrinkled visage was the picture of absolute innocence, "I knew it from day one, even before you did. He may be a prat, but he's good to you."
It took a lot of control, but Merlin's eyeballs did not bound from their sockets without warning.
"So he's good to me, so what? All that I've ever done is try to be a good servant. All of it goes unappreciated. And I certainly don't have feelings for him."
"Feelings come in time, Merlin." Gaius smiled, a smile that reminded Merlin too much, disturbingly much of the mother he left behind. It was the same smile of someone who knew something he wasn't supposed to know. "For now, perhaps it is all right to accept the confusion that you must be feeling."
Yes, he was feeling confused, but that was only because these emotions kind of...weren't there to begin with.
He rose to his feet, "I'm going to bed."
But later, Merlin lay in bed, and felt like a villain as he wondered how Arthur the prat was getting along without him. He almost missed him.
Probably Arthur got along quite splendidly (It wasn't as if Merlin was the only servant subject to his torture.) Or so Merlin hoped, but somehow, he knew it was all wishful hopes and wishful thinking. Before he drifted off, he also wished Arthur lots of luck.
--
"Don't call me unless it's something important." Merlin had said, and walked out, even though Arthur hadn't given him leave to go.
But it made sense.
Although now, Arthur had distinguished between the important, and the not so. Then, everything seemed important. Everything seemed so tedious without Merlin. Arthur had to dress himself, have someone else draw his bathwater, and nothing was served with a simple, "Merlin!"
His chambers quickly descended into a regular pigsty, and what vexed Arthur most of all was that Merlin apparently was avoiding the castle like the plague. Gaius now walked the halls where he once saw Merlin.
"Gaius, where's Merlin?"
The old man gave him a pointed look, "I thought you sacked him because of a lover's quarrel. He refuses to talk about it. Merlin is busy."
"Lovers' what?"
"Lovers' quarrel." Gaius repeated, articulating his words so precisely as if Arthur was deaf. "I suppose it embarrasses him, he's a bit on the shy side, Merlin refuses to talk about it."
Arthur rubbed his temples, "Perhaps the reason he refuses to talk about it is because there is no quarrel? Certainly not a lovers' one." He had to wonder why everyone was so keen on furthering this misconception of his and Merlin's romantic involvement—of which there was none. "I just gave him a break. He works hard."
"I see." Gaius didn't look or sound convinced. If he weren't so prehistorically ancient, Arthur would have hit him.
"Did Merlin tell you we were having...a spat?"
"No, of course not."
Arthur heaved a sigh of relief, at least Merlin wasn't spinning these tales, "Then why do you say that we are?"
"Because when you are an old man such as myself, you see the foolish of young men as yourselves as clear as day." Gaius looked at him.
"And what do you see?" Arthur said tersely.
"I see two very young foolish lovers who refuse to see." The look grew to be an almost admonishing one and Arthur winced. "But if you want to blind yourself, there's nothing I can do...and Arthur?"
"Yes?"
"Your brooch and your fastenings...it's not on right. I just noticed."
Arthur jerked at his brooch, savagely tearing the cloth that it held. Infuriated with himself, he stalked away from Gaius In the hallway. He wanted Merlin.
--
But he didn't call for Merlin. Not after what Gaius had said. Everyone was so keen in painting pictures in their hands that there wasn't much he could do. But he didn't think it would be wise to provoke the people by calling Merlin. Instead, he picked his way through his room and sprawled down on his bed, the sheets smelled musty and needed changing. He had other servants besides Merlin, but none of them were quite idiotic enough for Arthur to trust them with poking around.
"I'd never thought I'd see the day when Arthur Pendragon would sulk."
Morgana.
Arthur wanted to hit her, he would have, except she was a girl. He didn't look up. "I'm not sulking."
"Of course you aren't." She leaned against the doorway and stared at him, "Your room is deplorable. What happened?"
'Nothing happened." Arthur mumbled.
"You ripped your shirt."
"I noticed..."
"This room is disgusting..." Morgana picked her way through to his bedside, "You haven't cleaned in ages, have you?"
"Merlin hasn't been around." Arthur raised himself up on his elbows.
"So...it's his fault?"
"He removed himself from my service, nothing I could do about that."
Morgana sat down, "Arthur, honestly..." She sighed, "Why do you do that to yourself? You and Merlin get along beautifully."
"That seems to be the problem, apparently."
Morgana rolled her eyes, "You're such a boy." She got up, "You're moping, at least get him to clean up your room. It's a mess."
--
Merlin came when called as promised.
And like Morgana, he paused at the entrance of the room and wanted to laugh. Arthur glared at him. "Don't say a word and just clean up."
"Yes, sire."
"No laughing."
Merlin forced the grin from his lips as he went to fetch a broom from Arthur's closet, "I don't dare."
"Of course you don't. You're laughing now." Arthur pointed out, as he watched his servant get to work. He hoped this task was going to take Merlin a while. It was a selfish hope.
And Merlin grinned at him, this grin was not so mocking. "Thanks, Arthur, I miss you too." And amidst all of the misconceptions...he almost meant it.
Chapter III End:: (4-30-09)
